"Book" style 3 digit US highway shields

[bugo]

Arkansas exclusively uses what I call the "book" style shields for 3 digit US highways.  Look at the way the bottom is shaped.  It looks kind of like an open book.  What other states use these?  I've seen random pictures from other states, but I don't think any state uses them exclusively.  Apologies for the quality of the photo, as I took it many years ago using a cheap camera.

[hbelkins]

There are quite a few of these in Tennessee.

[Quillz]

I wonder why they don't use that style for 2dus, as well.

[Alps]

I wonder why they don't use that style for 2dus, as well.

Because it's ugly.
Officially, because it's wrong, based on the FHWA standard template.
Also, if you're going to deviate from FHWA, bring back the older shape with the curvier curves.

[US71]

Arkansas exclusively uses what I call the "book" style shields for 3 digit US highways.  Look at the way the bottom is shaped.  It looks kind of like an open book.  What other states use these?  I've seen random pictures from other states, but I don't think any state uses them exclusively.  Apologies for the quality of the photo, as I took it many years ago using a cheap camera.

Honestly, I don't see it that way, but I guess I've never thought about it that way.

[Takumi]

I know I've seen some in Virginia.

[Scott5114]

I think this is an attempt to make a wide 1961 shield. The standard wide shield is derived from the 1970-spec.

[Quillz]

Doesn't look much like a wide '61 shield at all, though. The '61 shield is virtually the same as the '70 spec, except the outer points on the crown stick out more than the rest of the shield.

[Road Hog]

Arkansas exclusively uses what I call the "book" style shields for 3 digit US highways.  Look at the way the bottom is shaped.  It looks kind of like an open book.  What other states use these?  I've seen random pictures from other states, but I don't think any state uses them exclusively.  Apologies for the quality of the photo, as I took it many years ago using a cheap camera.

That is an old photo. Arkansas stopped using a bracing post on its signs years ago (presumably to cut costs) and now uses a single post.

[bugo]

Yes.  I think it was taken around 1998-1999.

[agentsteel53]

it's a California variant from 1956, which is one of the earliest attempts at wide shields.



a retroreflective variant, not exactly the same shape but close, also exists.  this style was used intermittently well into the 60s, but I do not know of any surviving examples.

[US71]

Doesn't look much like a wide '61 shield at all, though. The '61 shield is virtually the same as the '70 spec, except the outer points on the crown stick out more than the rest of the shield.

I typically call the 60's 2D style a "narrow neck".  ^This photo is typical 3d Style in Arkansas.

Here's an Arkansas 2d and 3d side by side

[agentsteel53]

I typically call the 60's 2D style a "narrow neck".  ^This photo is typical 3d Style in Arkansas.

I call it "wasp waisted".  it's the original 1926 shape.

the best way to make a wide '61 spec in my opinion would be to take the '61 narrow spec for overhead shields (7:6 ratio) and put Series C numbers in it.  I've seen this done on occasion - most recently, the US-395/I-580 project in Carson City and Reno.

here is the shield shape in question:

[bugo]

No mention of Springdale or Rogers?

[national highway 1]

Question, what shield was the US Route shield's shape derived from? I know from from a fact that Australia's National Route and National Highway shields were derived from the shape of its coat of arms, but I'm curious to wonder where the shape of the US Route shields and Interstate shields came from.

[Scott5114]

The idea of a shield in general was suggested to the board that was organizing the US highway system on April 20, 1925 because of the shield in the Great Seal of the United States:


That shield doesn't look a lot like the US route shield though. The next day, two guys introduced a shield sketch to the committee, and it was tentatively approved. My guess is that the shield shape originated with that sketch, as the same shield shape as accepted in April was officially approved on August 3.

[Alps]

The idea of a shield in general was suggested to the board that was organizing the US highway system on April 20, 1925 because of the shield in the Great Seal of the United States:


That shield doesn't look a lot like the US route shield though. The next day, two guys introduced a shield sketch to the committee, and it was tentatively approved. My guess is that the shield shape originated with that sketch, as the same shield shape as accepted in April was officially approved on August 3.

Take away the circle on top. Two wings and a head = 3 points. Dip in from the wingtips, out around the claws and what they're holding, come to a point under the tail.

[hbelkins]

I could have sworn that I saw several of the diagonal bracing posts on a number of Arkansas sign assemblies the last time I was off the interstates there (winter of 2010).

[US71]

I could have sworn that I saw several of the diagonal bracing posts on a number of Arkansas sign assemblies the last time I was off the interstates there (winter of 2010).

There are a few still around, but it's not AHTD's current standard.

---
Now, as far as the Interstate shield, there was a contest among the states to determine the best design. The winning design was a combination of Texas and Missouri.



These were all Texas submitted designs.

There are a couple more here: http://road-less-taken.blogspot.com/2009/01/what-might-have-been.html